Builder mechanism for spinning frames



Nov. 7, 1939. s H. HELLAND BUILDER MECHANISM FOR SPINNING FRAMES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 19, 1938 W- INVENTOR cZyar/flellazzd. & K ATTORNEY Nov. 7, 1939. s. H, HELLAND BUILDER MECHANISM FOR SPINNING FRAMES Filed May 19, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 at gay/7K. 26 222332 ATTORNEY M y wmwk JQW hmm Nov. 7, H939. s H, HELLANU 2.379.332

BUILDER MECHANISM FOR SPINNING FRAMES Filed May 19, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 7, 1939 PATENT orFic v BUILDER MECHANISM FOR SPINNING .FRAMES Sigurd H. Holland, Whitinsville, Mass, assignor to Whitin Machine Works, Whitinsville, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts.

. Application May 19, 1938, Serial No. 208,869

. Claims. (01. 24.2-43.3)

This invention relates tomachines for spinning yarn, and relates more particularly to the mechanism which controls the winding or building of the bobbins in such a machine. Builder 5 mechanism for this purpose is shown and described in the prior patent to Kooistra, No. 1,926,390, issued September 12, 1933. The mechanism disclosed in said patent is operative not only to wind the bobbins but also to automatically restore the parts to initial position after a predetermined winding period;

It is the general object of my present invention to improve the operation of the Kooistra builder mechanism by the provision of improved means for accurately timing the end of the wind and the restoration of the builder mechanism to initial condition. v 1 More particularly, I provide means for effecting such restoration when the builder lever is in a predetermined position only. .In the preferred form, the restoration takes place when the builder lever is at the highest point in its path of movement.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. p

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which 30 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved builder mechanism, with parts of an associated spinning frame shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the builder mechanism, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional end elevations, taken along the lines 3--3 and 4-4 respectively in Fig.

Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation, taken along the line 5--5 in Fig. 4;

the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 2; and i Fig. '7 is a partial side elevation similar to Fig.

1 but showing certain parts in a different position.

45 Referring to the drawings, I have shownportions of a spinning frame including an end frame 10, a ring rail ll (Fig. 1) fixed to the end frame I0 and supporting a plurality of spinning rings R, and a spindle rail l2 supporting a plu- 50 rality of spindles S.

Each spindle rail I2 is mounted to slide vertically on upright guide rods l4 fixed to a bottom rail I5. The spindle rails l2 onthe two opposite sides of the machine are connected by 55 cross members [6 (Fig. 1). having hooks llto Fig. 6 is a detail end elevation, looking in the ings in the lever- 39 and in axial alignment a which flexible bands l8 are connected. The up per ends of the bands l8 extend partially around the. peripheries of grooved pulleys 2t and are secured thereto.

The pulleys 20 are mounted on shafts 22 on opposite sides of the machine and extending lengthwise thereof. These shafts 22 are provided with sprockets connected by a cross chain 25 (Fig. 1). The chain 25 is so connected to its sprockets that when one shaft 22 is rotated 10 in one direction, the opposite shaft 22 will be correspondingly rotated in the opposite direct The shaft 22 at the right-hand side of the machine is also provided with a sprocket (Fig. 1) to which is secured a chain El which extends v15 downward and is secured at its lower end to sprocket 28 mounted on a short shaft having bearings in an upwardly projecting portion of builder lever 30.

The leverSEl is provided with a forked hub 33 (Fig. 2) at its rear end, loosely mounted on a drive shaft 32 rotatable in a bearing 33 on the end frame it. At its free end, the builder lever is provided with a roll 35 (Fig. i) en aged by a heart-shaped builder cam 36 mounte on a drive shaft 31 rotatable in a bearing 38 g. 53) on theend frame 18. As the cam 35 is rotated, the builder lever 30 will be periodically for downward, tensioning the chains El and r 1d the flexible bands l8 and thus raising the spindle rails l2 and spindles S relative to the fixed 1 rails l l and rings R. The weight of the th rails l2 and associated parts is more the ficient to counterbalance the weight of the builder lever 30 and to hold the roll 35 firmly against the cam 36. 35 For the purpose of rotating the sprocket on the lever 30 alternately in opposite directions and at different speeds. I provide three short shafts 4|], 4| and 42 (Fig. I) mounted in bear- .5! (Fig. 2.) 'onthe short shaft 29 on which the sprocket 28 ismounted. The outermost shaft '42 ,(Fig. 1) in the builder lever M) is provided with a toothed clutch member 55 at its inner end, positioned for engagement by a similar clutch member 55 keyed to and slidable on an outer end portion of the intermediate shaft 45.

The clutch members 4i and 56 are grooved to receive yoke arms 58 and 59 (Fig. 1) mounted on a shaft 60 slidable in bearings 5i projected downward from the builder lever 33. The parts are so proportioned that when one driving clutch member 41 or 56 is engaged, the other driving clutch member is inoperative.

A reversing lever 6?. (Fig. 7) is pivoted at 63 on the builder lever 39 and has a downwardly extending end portion 85 provided with a stud 55 positioned between spaced flanges 58 and 6? on a collar 58 fixed to the sliding shaft 39. The lever 62 thus has a lost motion connection with the sliding shaft 60.

The lever 52 also has a cam-shaped projection l0 (Fig. 7) engaged by a spring plunger 1'! mounted in a casing 72 secured to the side of the builder lever 3'9. The plunger it holds the lever 52 yieldingly in either of its operative positions until positively moved therefrom and also accelerates the latter part of the reversing movement of the lever.

The lever 62 is positioned for engagement by lugs 14 and 15 (Fig. 7) adjustably secured to a disc 18 (Fig. 3) fixed to the outer end of the shaft 29 on which the worm wheel 5| and sprocket 28 are mounted.

The outer shaft 42 (Fig. 1) on the builder lever 30 is provided with a ratchet wheel 80 (Fig. 6) at its outer end, engaged by a pawl 8| pivoted at 82 to the outer end of an arm 83, which arm in turn is pivoted to swing about the axis of the shaft 42. The limit of downward or inoperative movement of the pawl BI and arm 83 is determined by engagement .of the arm 83 with an adjustable stop screw 84.

A rod 86 is pivoted to the arm 83 and is provided with spaced collars 88 and 89 positioned for engagement by a lifter arm 99 (Fig. 1), pivoted on a stud 9| which also rotatably supports the cam roll 35 previously described. A second arm 93 projects upward from the stud 9| and is preferably formed integral with the lifter arm 90.

The ram 93 is positioned for engagement by a stud 95 (Fig. 1) on the side of the cam 36 and is rocked to raise the arm 95 at each rotation of the cam. Such upward movement of the arm 90 causes the arm to engage the upper spaced collar 88 and to positively lift the arm 83 and pawl 8|, thus advancing the ratchet wheel 80, a predetermined number of teeth. The amount of feed is regulated by the position of the stop screw 84.

When released by the stud 95, the weight of the arm causes the arm to swing downward, engaging the lower collar 89 and giving the feed pawl Bi and arm 83 a return movement to inoperative position.

The parts thus far described are as shown in the Kooistra patent and in themselves form no part of my present invention, which relates more particularly to certain features which will now be described. I

In the Kooistra builder mechanism, the sliding shaft 60 (Fig. 1) was shifted to reverse the clutch engagement when the lug 14 had moved the lever 62 far enough beyond the point of the spring plunger H so that the rocking movement of the lever 62 was abruptly completed. The time of movement, however, was subject to considerable variation, and was not definitely related to the angular position of the cam 36.

It is desirable to reverse the builder mechanism when the builder lever 30 is at its highest point and with the cam roll 35 in the heel of the cam 36. At this point, the clutch members 55 and 56 are not under pressure and can be easily disengaged. Also, the wind-back operation, which takes about one-half a revolution of the cam, will be completed with the cam roll 35 on the point of the cam and with the spindle rails in their highest positions.

In order to achieve this result, I provide a latch pin I90 (Fig. 4) slidable in a vertical bearing Iiil on the builder lever 30 and having its lower end projecting into the annular groove I02 in the right-hand clutch collar 56 which is engaged by the yoke arm 59. One side of the pin IOI is preferably slabbed off as indicated at I03, so that the end of the pin is somewhat narrower than the width of the groove I02.

A lock arm H0 is pivoted at lll (Fig. l) on the builder lever 30 and has a circular head H2 seated in a recess in the side of the pin I90. A spring plunger H3 holds the rock arm H0 and pin I99 normally in the position shown in Fig. 4.

An extension H5 of the rock arm H0 is positioned for engagement by a stop screw H5 when the builder lever reaches its highest position, with the cam roll 35 in the heel of the cam 36. The screw 1 i6 is adjustable in a fixed bracket I H.

The operation of my improvements in determining the exact time of reversal of the winding mechanism on the builder lever is as follows:

Assuming that the lug I4 has moved the lever 82 to the position shown in Fig. 7, the spring plunger ll will attempt to complete the shifting movement of the lever 62 but such completion will be prevented by the pin I00, which will allow the sliding shaft 88 to move far enough to disengage the clutch teeth of the members 55 and 58 but not far enough to engage the clutch members 46 and 41.

The sliding shaft 60 will remain in this neutral position until the builder lever 39 reaches its highest point of travel, with the roll 35 in the heel of the cam 36. In this position the portion H5 of the rock arm l 10 is engaged by the stop screw H8 and is rocked to raise the pin I89 out of the annular groove I02. The sliding shaft 60 is thus released and completion of the shifting movement of the lever 62 takes place.

The usual mechanism, not shown, is provided for stopping the machine when the wind-back operation is completed.

By the addition of my attachment to the Kooistra builder lever, the uncertain timing of the Kooistra mechanism is remedied, with the beneficial results previously set forth. It will also be noted that my improvements comprise only two relatively simple moving parts, and that simple and convenient means for adjustment of the device is provided.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

i. In a spinning frame having a rail, a builder cam, a builder lever, a rail-shifting shaft rotatably mounted on said lever, means for intermittently rotating said shaft in one direction during the winding of the bobbins, means for continuously rotating the shaft in the reverse direction during the wind-back of the rail, alternately operative clutch member shiftable to establish driving connections between said shaft and said two rotating means selectively, a clutch-shifting device, and automatic means to actuate said device, that improvement in builder mechanism which consists in providing means to hold said clutch members in neutral position until said cam and builder lever occupy a predetermined relation, and means to release said clutch members for further movement to effect the windback when said predetermined relation is established.

2. In a spinning frame having a rail, a builder cam, a builder lever, a rail-shifting shaft rotatably mounted on said lever, means for inter- 5 mittently rotating said shaft in one direction during the winding of the bobbins, means for continuously rotating the shaft in the reverse direction during the wind-back of the rail, alternately operative clutch members shiftable to es- 20 tablish driving connections between said shaft and said two rotating means selectively, a clutchshifting device, and automatic means to actuate said device, that improvement in builder mechanism which consists in providing a stop permit- 25 ting disengaging movement only of said clutch members by said automatic means, and a device to withdraw said stop in a predetermined position of said builder lever and thereby permit completion of the shifting of said clutch members 30 by saidautomatic means.

3. In a spinning frame having a rail, a builder cam, a builder lever, a rail-shifting shaft rotatably mounted on said lever, means for intermittently rotating said shaft in one direction during the winding of the bobbins, means for continuously rotating the shaft in the reverse direction during the wind-back of the rail, alternately operative clutch members shiftable to establish driving connections between said shaft and said two rotating means selectively, a clutchshifting device, and automatic means to actuate said device, that improvement in builder mechanism which consists in providing a stop having a lost motion connection with said clutch-shifting device and operative to prevent shifting movement of said device beyond neutral position, and means to withdraw said stop when said builder lever reaches a predetermined position.

4. The combination in a builder mechanism as set forth in claim 3, in which said latter means comprises a rock arm mounted on said builder lever and connected to said stop, and a fixed abutment engageable by said rock arm as said builder lever approaches its upper limit of travel, whereby said rock arm is moved to withdraw said stop.

5. In a spinning frame having a rail, a builder cam, a builder lever, a rail-shifting shaft rotatably mounted on said lever, means for intermittently rotating said shaft in one direction during the winding of the bobbins, means for continuously rotating the shaft in the reverse direction during the wind-back of the rail, alternately operative clutch members shiftable to establish driving connections between said shaft and said two rotating means selectively, a clutchshifting device, and automatic means to actuate said device, that improvement in builder mechanism which consists in providing a device normally operative to prevent initial clutch-shifting movement by said automatic means beyond neutral position, and means operative at a predetermined point in the cycle of movement of the builder lever to render said normally operative device inoperative and thereby enable said automatic means to complete the clutch-shifting movement.

SIGURD H. HELLAND. 

